Former team-mate Phillips, who secured promotion to the Premier League alongside Zaha in 2013, admits that the 26-year-old has improved considerably over recent years to register on the radar of leading clubs.

The ex-Eagles frontman is, however, not convinced that interested parties will be willing to meet Zaha’s supposed asking price, telling talkSPORT: "He’s improved no end from when I played with him.

"At times he would run down cul-de-sacs and players used to double up on him, sometimes even three players and he would still try to take them on.

"But when you watch his game now, he has learnt that he can track one or two players and he can pop it the other side and go again.

"His finishing has improved, but it can get better. His end product and his crossing can get better, but he is 100 times better now.

"For me, he is an outside winger, when he is running at people and cutting in, whether it is from the right or the left. He can play both. He played on the right when I played with him.

"He has got the ability to go both ways. He is right footed, but he can cross with his left foot, and he can finish with his left foot as you have seen this season.